Our articles are written by experts in their field and include barristers, solicitors, judges, mediators, academics and professionals from a range of related disciplines. Family Law provides a platform for debate for all the important topics, from divorce and care proceedings to transparency and access to justice. If you would like to contribute please email emma.reitano@lexisnexis.co.uk.
Spotlight
A day in the life Of...
Read on

David Hodson on International Family Law: Child abduction as criminal kidnapping

Date:8 MAR 2012
Family lawyer

International Family Law Practice by David Hodson

David Hodson

In the recent R v Kayani R v Solliman decision [2011] EWCA Crim 2871 the Court of Appeal has called upon the Law Commission to address the question of whether parental child abduction cases should be treated as kidnapping offences. The court further recommended that pending any such change to legislation the maximum sentence for child abduction cases should be increased. Currently the offence carries a sentence length of seven years' imprisonment under the Child Abduction Act 1984; however if the substantive law is changed in this regard perpetrators of child abduction could potentially face life imprisonment -as is the maximum sentence in kidnapping cases.

The Lord Chief Justice in his reserved judgment held that a parent abducting a child is...

Read the full article here.